Raspberries' 2004 Reunion Concert to Be Released

On November 24, 2004, the original four members of the Raspberries, Eric Carmen, Wally Bryson, David Smalley and Jim Bonfanti, came together to play their first concert in over thirty years.

Not just a short reunion appearance, the band played a twenty seven song set that was captured on tape and will be released on August 18 as Pop Art Live via Omnivore Recordings.

The appearance was the opening night of a stint at the House of Blues in Cleveland and led to a reunion tour the following year that brought the classic pop-rock sound of the group to the fans across the country.

Mixed in with songs from all four of the Raspberries' albums were covers of tunes from the likes of the Beatles and the Who.

Also included in this 2-CD package are reflections and testimonials from Academy Award®-winning filmmaker and rock scribe Cameron Crowe, pop music author James Rosen, and longtime Raspberries aficionados Bernie Hogya and Ken Sharp. Hogya also contributes a wealth of ephemera from opening night in Cleveland.

Crowe wrote “It was the early ’70s, and the editor of the local underground newspaper where I worked was confused and fascinated by the Raspberries’ debut album. I watched as a room full of post-hippie political journalists passed around the album cover, solemnly smelling the scratch ’n’ sniff cover. I’d talked my way into the job despite of, or maybe because of, my age (15), and the editor trusted me to fill some space reviewing records. I took the record home, and gave it a spin. Go All the Way opened the album, and the Raspberries’ career, with a sonic knock to the jaw. Within three chords, I knew I had to blast it. The run of songs continued, each one building on the giddy promise of the last, from Come Around and See Me to the rapturous I Saw the Light and beyond . . . it was one of the strongest introductions to a record I’d heard. The assurance, the kick in the band’s attack, and the pop majesty of Eric Carmen’s vocals made me a life-long fan.”